Blow-out preventer for oil wells



BLOWOUT PREVENTER FOROIL WELLS I Filed Aug. 50, 1923 I- "1 I I I l "a 0 q I 0 C. c. HO-SM ER 1,777,564

Patented 7,1930 1 UNITED "STA CHESTER .0. HOSHEB, OI HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA mzowpur rnnvniwrna son on. WELLS Application filed August 80, 1923, Serial No. 660,146.

My invention relates generally to oil well appliances and more particularly to a packing device that is adapted to be applied to the upper ends or heads of oil well casings ,5 for preventing blowouts and which latter, it

will be understood, frequently occur as a result of abnormal gas or oil-pressures.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a slmple, practical and efiicient de- 10 vice of unitary structure that may be easily and quickly applied -to the drill tube and which device, under the weight of said drill tube, serves as a leakproof packing between saidtube and the. well casing or its head and consequently preventing troublesome and dangerous gas and oil blowouts that frequently occur during the drilling and operation of oil wells.

A further object of my invention is, to provide an oil well blowout preventor that ma be easily and cheaply produced and Whic will act. automatically under the weight ofthe engaged drill tube in producing t e desiredresults. The construction herein illustrated and described is an improvement on the packer for oil wells for which Letters Patent No. 1,525,582 were issued to me February 10, 1925. p

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and'arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through the center of an oil well casing head and showing my improvedblowout preventor in position for use. a 40 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the split block or cylindrical packing member of the device and which is adapted to. be applied to the drill tube.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the posi- 5 tion of the parts of the split block or packing member when the sameis opened for ap plication to the drill tube.

F ig. 4 is a vertical section taken approximate y on the line 4-4 of Fi 3',

Fig. 5 is a vertical section ta en approximatel on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. a

Re erring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10 designates an oil well casing,

to the upper end of which is attached in the usual manner, a fitting 11, lgenerally known as an overflow pipe and w ich isprovided with one or more valved outlets 12 for con trolling the flow of water or mud from the upper end of the casing and also for controlling the fiow of oil or gas from said casing. V

This overflow pi e is generally located above the ground an below the derrick floor.

The bowl or socket fitting that forms a part of my improved device, comprises a relatively short tubular member 13, having its lower portion internally threaded in order that it may be screwed onto the externally threaded upper end of the. overflow pipe 11 and'formed within this bowl, intermediate its ends, is an inclined shoulder or annular surface 14. that tapers or gradually decreases in diameter toward its lower end.

. This inclined shoulde1-14 is formed so that its least diameter, which is at its lower end,

is approximately equal to or slightly greater than the internal diameter of the casing 10, consequently the opening into the upper end of said casing and the overflow pipe connected thereto, is in nowi'se restricted.

The packing member of my improved devicecomprises an upper two part. ring 15, a lower two part ring 16, and an intermediate one piece gasket or packing ring.17. The two art rings 15 and 16are preferably formed of metal and the lower portion of the lower ring 16 is tapered as desi nated by 16 so as to fit snugly upon the 1nclined or tapered shoulder 14 when the packing member is positioned within bowl 13.

- These two metal rings are divided on diathat asses through both sets or ears 18 and the t readed end of said pin or screw is seated in the lower ear or lug of the lower rin 16. V

he head of this hinge pin occupies a recess 21'that is formed in the upper ear or lug of the upper ring 15.

The gasket or packing ring 17 that is in-.

terposed between the two part rings 15 and 16 is formed from a single piece or rubber of analogous compressible'elastic material and said ring is split on a line that coincides with the dividing lines between the free ends of the parts of rings 15 and 16.

Hinge pin 19 passes through this gasket at a point diametrically opposite from the point where the gasket is split.

The upper and lower faces of the gasket or packing ring 17v are dovetailed into shallow grooves 2 that are formed respectively, in the under face .of ring 15 and the upper face of ring '16.

Passing through rings 15 and '17 arectie bolts 23, the threaded ends of which are seated in rin 16 and the heads 24 on the upper ends 0 said bolts occupy recesses 25 in the upper ortion of top ring 15. These tie bolts are ocated at points a short distance away from the free ends of the rings 1 that compose the packing member.

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Formed in the upper portion of top ring 15, preferably at points intermediate the ends of, the two parts thereof are threaded recesses 26 that are ada ted to receive the threaded ends of the hoo s, eye bolts or the like that may be used when the packing member is lifted from the bowl.

. Thus it will be seen that I have provided a. unitary structure that is relatively simple in construction, very compact and which may "be easily and (iuickly applied for use.

' The halves o the packing member'swing freely upon the hinge pin 19 and when I Ipened and spread apart as illustrated in ig. 3, said member may be readily fitted onto the drill tube D .and which latter is raised or lowered so as to bring one of its collars or union's Ointo position directly above bowl 14.

After the packing member has been manipulated so as to encircle the drill rod, the latter and said member are lowered until thepacking member enters the bowl 14.

The engagement of the tapered end 16 on the lower portion of the packing member against the tapered shoulder 14, anchors said packing member within the bowl and the' tically so that the inner and outer faces of the latter are respectively forced into intimate contact with the adjacent faces of the drill tube and bowl.

Obviously to attain the results just described, the eXternal-diameters of the rings 15 and 16 must be slightly less than the internal diameter of the bowl above the inclinedshoulder 14 therein and the diameter of the openings in said ring must be slightl greater than the diameter of the drill tube to which the packing is applied.

Thus the device forms a joint between the well casing and drill tube that will withstand extremely high pressures, consequently the well is prevented from blowing out and, at the proper time a reduction of the pressure within the well casin may be effected, by opening one or botli of'the outlets 12.

' If desired, suitable means may be provided to lock the packing member in position within the bowl, but this provision is not required where the drill is of any considerable length or weight. I

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a relativelfy simple and practical packing member 0 unitary structure that may be readily manipulated when applied for use and which combines readily with a bowllike holder in preventing oil and gas blowouts in wells.

While Ihave shown and described a simple and practical form of my improved blowout preventer, it will be understood that the construction thereof may be varied in minor details, without departing from the spirit of the invention the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: I 1. In an oil well blowout preventer, a packng member of unitary structure comprising a pair of twoart rings that are spaced apart, a compressib e split ring arranged between said two-part rings, a hinge pin seated in the lower one of said two-part rings and extending upwardly through the compressible split ring and through the upper one of the twopart rings so as to provide a hinge to er mit the device to be opened and closed w en applied to or removed from a well tube, the upper one of the two-part rings and said compressible split ring being loosely arranged on the hinge pin so that they may move downwardly thereupon when said compressible rin is compressed the split or opening in sai packing member being disposed diametpressible ring and the upper one of the twoing member comprising a pair of metal rings extending through sai part rings, the lower portion of the lower metal ring being provided with an externally tapered face and said compressible split ring and the upper one of the two-part metal rings having uniform external diameters. 3. In an oil well blowout preventer, a packing member comprising a pair of metal rings each formed in two parts, the lower one of said two-part metal rings being externally tapered, a one-piece s lit ring of compressible material arranged etween the two-part metal rings, said compressible split ring and the upper one of the two-part metal rings having the same external diameters, a single hinge pin connecting the parts of the two twopart metal rings and extending through said compressible split ring at a point diametrically opposite to the split therein, said hinge pin being rigidly seated in one of the twopart metal rings and having sliding engagement with said split ring and the other twopart metal ring. I 4. In an oil well blowout preventer, a pack each formed in two parts, the lower one 0 said two-part rings being externally tapered,

a one-piece split ring of compressible material arranged between the two-part metal rings, said compressible split ring having the same external diameter as said metal rings, a hinge pin connecting the parts of the two-part metal rings and extending throu h said compressi-' ble split ring at a point diametrically opposite to the split therein, said hinge pin being loosel seated in said split ring and the upper one o the two-part rings, and pins seated in the parts of the lower. one of the two-part metal rings near the free ends of said parts and which pins are loosely seated in the split ring of compressible material and the parts of the upper one of the two-part metal rings.

ring at a point diametrically oppositeto the split therein, said hinge member bein rigidly seated in one of the two-part metal rings and having sliding engagement with the compressible split ring and the other twoart metal ring, and pins seated in the parts 0 one of the two-part metal rings adjacent to the split therein and having sliding engagement with the other two-part metal ring and with said compressible split ring.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHESTER O. HOSMER.

n an oil well blowout preventer, a packing member comprising a pair of metal rings each formed in two parts, the lower one 0 said two-part rings being externally tapered, a one-piece split rm of compressible material arranged between t e two-part metal rings, said compressible split ring and the upper one of the two-part metal rings having uniform external diameters,a single hinge pin connecting the parts of the twozipart metal rings and compressible split 

